Umbrella



E. SCHMIDT April 26, 1949.

UMBRELLA Filed Jan. 31, 1946 112 2/61) to Z.

m'd (52km? Patented Apr. 26, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UMBRELLAEdward Schmidt, Rutherford, N. J. Application January 31, 1946, SerialNo. 644,455

7 Claims.

This invention relates to umbrellas and more particularly to an umbrellahaving a permanently attached case to be used when the umbrella isfolded and not in use.

"One object of the invention is to provide an umbrella having aprotective case which is permanently attached to the umbrella whether inuse or folded so that the case cannot be inconveniently lost or mislaid.A further object of the invention is to provide an umbrella with anattached case which requires no laces, connecting flaps or buttons sooften broken or torn off in attempting to encase the folded umbrella.Other objects are to provide an umbrella with a permanently attachedcase of simple and economical construction, which can quickly and easilycompress the folds of the umbrella into a convenient size and protectthem from soiling or accidental injury when not in use, and whichpresents a pleasant appearance and offers no obstruction or impedimentto the person carrying the umbrella when in use.

According to the present invention an umbrella, comprising a stick'and aflexible canopy extendingoutwardly from the stick, has a flexible casein the form of aresilient scroll extending from the stick to the freeedge of the canopy and permanently attached at one edge to the canopy,and has its other edge free from attachment thereto, whereby the casemay be positioned in a compact roll when the umbrella is open andpositioned so as to encase the canopy and compress it to convenient sizewhen the umbrella is folded, and means are provided for holding the casein either position. In a desirable embodiment of the invention theaforesaid holding means may be resilient, and ma preferred embodimentsaid means may be spaced spiral springs secured at one end to the freeedge of the case and extending along its inner surface and through thecanopy and secured at the opposite end to a rib of the umbrella. a

For the purpose of illustration one embodiment of the invention is shownin the accompanying drawings inwhich- 2 Fig. 1 is a perspective view ofone embodiment of the invention with the umbrella in folded p p l .1

-Fig.-2is a cross-section-with the umbrella closed and encased;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the invention with the umbrella open;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken along lines 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the means for attach- 2 ing the springs to atubular rod with parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of means for attaching the springs to an umbrellarib with parts broken away;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of a modified means for attaching thesprings to an umbrella rib; and

Fig. 8 is a cross-section of the modification shown in Fig. '7.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 the numeral 2 represents an umbrella ofconventional construction having a stick 3, U-shaped ribs 4, a flexiblecanopy 5 and canopy seams 6.

A protective case I of flexible, preferably waterproof material,sufiiciently wide to encase the umbrella when folded and of the samelength as a canopy seam, has one edge 8 permanently secured to one seam6 adjacent rib 4, by suitable means as stitches 9, the other edge I0being turned under and secured, by similar means, to the body of thecase to form an elongate pocket I l adapted to receive a tubular rod I2as shown in Fig. 1. Two spiral springs I3 are spaced adjacent opposededges I 4 of case 6 and each is secured at one end I5 to the rod I2, andextend along the inner face of case 6 and through seam 8, the oppositeend l6 being secured to the rib 4 as hereinafter described, whereby thecase is resiliently carried by said springs in a compact roll I'I,parallel to said seam, when the umbrella is open,

I as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and is adapted to encase andresiliently-compress the umbrella into a convenient size when theumbrella is folded as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Fig. 5, each of the ends I5 of springs I3 are formed into aloop I8, said loop being anchored-to the'tubular rod I2 by a pin I9press-fit into the end of the rod and the end of a hollow tip, 20: I

Referring to Fig. 6,"each' of the "ends I6 of springs I3 are formed intoa loop 22, said loop being anchored to the rib 4 by'a pin 23, theU-shaped edges 24-of the rib 4 being crimped about the pin adjacent thespring and further crimped to abut the ends 25 of the pin whereby thepin issecured against movement within the rib;

Refe'r'ringto the modification shownfiin Figs. 7 and 8, each of the endsI6 of springs I3 are shouldered, as indicated at as, to seat on the topof rib 4 adjacent slot 26 formed therein. The ends, after beingannealed, are bifurcated into two tongues 21 adapted to be insertedthrough the slot 26 and bent outwardly about opposite edges 24 of therib to anchor the end of the spring to the rib.

When it is no longer desired to use the umbrella, the canopy 5 isconventionally folded and the roll I1 is unrolled against the tendencyof the springs l3 to retain it in roll form, and then wound about thefolded umbrella whereby the umbrella is encased and compressed intoconvenient size when the springs are again permitted to exert theirroll-forming force.

While the umbrella herein described is one having a conventional canopyseam, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to thistype of umbrella but may include other types in which the seams areomitted, in which case, the case edge 8 may be permanently attached tothe outer surface of the canopy 5 by suitable means as stitches orcement and spaced slots may be formed in the canopy adjacent theretothrough which springs l3 will extend.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and that this invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An umbrella comprising a stick, a flexible canopy extending outwardlyfrom the stick, a flexible case extending from the stick to the freeedge of the canopy and having one edge permanently attached to thecanopy and its other edge free from attachment thereto, so that the casemay be positioned in a compact roll when the umbrella is open andpositioned so as to encase the canopy and compress it to convenient sizewhen the umbrella is folded, means for selectively holding it in eitherposition, and a stiffener for the free edge of the case to facilitaterolling the case into said compact roll.

2. An umbrella comprising a flexible canopy and having a canopy seam, aflexible case having one edge permanently attached to the seam and itsother edge free from attachment thereto, so that the case may bepositioned in a compact roll when the umbrella is open and positioned soas to encase the canopy and compress it to convenient size when theumbrella is folded, means for selectively holding it in either position,and a stifiener for the free edge of the case to facilitate rolling thecase into said compact roll.

3.An umbrella comprising a flexible canopy and having a canopy seam, aflexible case having one edge permanently attached to the seam and itsother edge free from attachment thereto,

so that the case may be positioned in a compact roll when the umbrellais open and positioned so as to encase the canopy and compress it toconvenient size when the umbrella is folded, resilient means forselectively holding it in either position, and a stiffener for the freeedge of the case to facilitate rolling the case into said compact roll.

4. An umbrella comprising a stick, ribs, a flexible canopy extendingoutwardly from the stick, a flexible case extending from the stick tothe free edge of the canopy and having one edge permanently attached tothe canopy and its other edge free from attachment thereto, so that thecase may be positioned in a compact roll when the umbrella is open andpositioned so as to encase the canopy and compress it to convenient sizewhen the umbrella is folded, spaced spiral springs each of which issecured at one end to the free edge of the case and extends along theinner face of the case and through the canopy and is secured at theopposite end to a rib of the umbrella and means for securing the springsto the case and rib, whereby the case is selectively held in eitherposition.

5. An umbrella comprising ribs, a flexible canopy and having a canopyseam, a flexible case having one edge permanently attached to the seamand its other edge free from attachment thereto, whereby the case may bepositioned in a compact roll when the umbrella is open and positioned soas to encase the canopy and compress it to convenient size when theumbrella is folded, spaced spiral springs each of which is secured atone end to the free edge of the case and extends along the inner face ofthe case and through the seam and is secured at the opposite end to arib of the umbrella and means for securing the springs to the case andrib, whereby the case is selectively held in either position,

6. An umbrella comprising a flexible canopy and having a canopy seam, aflexible case having one edge permanently attached to the seam and itsother edge free from attachment thereto, so that the case may bepositioned in a compact roll when the umbrella is open and positioned soas to encase the canopy and compress it to convenient size when theumbrella is folded, and spaced spiral springs each of which is securedat one end to the free edge of the case and extends along the inner faceof the case and through the seam and is secured at the opposite end to arib of the umbrella, each of said opposite ends being bifurcated to formtwo tongues which project through a slot in said rib and having ashoulder seating on the rib adjacent the slot, said tongues being bentin opposite directions to anchor the end of the spring v in the rib.

'7. An umbrella comprising a stick, a flexible canopy extendingoutwardly from the stick and a case in the form of a resilient scrollextending from the stick to the free edge of the canopy and having oneedge permanently attached to the canopy and its outer edge free fromattachment thereto so that the case is positioned in a compact roll whenthe umbrella is open and may be positioned so as to encase the canopyand compress it to convenient size when the umbrella is folded.

EDWARD SCHMIDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 574,436 Lawrence Jan. 5, 1897FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,943 Great Britain 1885

